Module Identifier EL10820  
Module Title LANGUAGE, CULTURE, AND IDENTITY IN EUROPE  
Academic Year 2005/2006  
Co-ordinator Professor David A Trotter  
Semester Semester 2 (Taught over 2 semesters)  
Other staff Professor David A Trotter, Mr Jose M Goni Perez, Adriano Vincentelli, Dr Winifred V Davies  
Course delivery Lecture    
  Seminars / Tutorials    
Assessment
Assessment TypeAssessment Length/DetailsProportion
Semester Exam2 Hours written examination (2 essay questions)60%
Semester Assessment 2 x 1500 word essays40%
Supplementary Exam2 Hours 1 x 2-hour examination if continuous assessment submitted. 1 x 3-hour examination if no continuous assessment submitted.100%

Learning outcomes

On completion of this module, students should be able to


Brief description

The module provides an introduction, by a variety of case-studies focused on France, Germany, Italy and Spain, to issues of identity, nationality, and language which have been of central importance to the development of Europe.   

The module will explore fundamental conflicts between nationality and 'Europeanness'; centre and periphery; regions and nation-states; cultural and historical particularism and a shared European heritage and identity.   

It will draw on expertise in the Department and offer students a combination of approaches embedded in specific languages and cultures which they are unlikely to have experienced before. It will ensure that students in European Languages have the opportunity to acquire some understanding of the broader European picture into which their chosen language(s) fit(s). It will provide a non-language-specific general preparation for subsequent study of society, politics, language and culture of all the languages taught in the Department. It will be open to students outside the Department and presupposes no linguistic competence.

The module is deliberately 'thin' in order to allow students, over the duration of the module, to assimilate the ideas concerned and to deepen their understanding of the underlying general themes.

Reading Lists

Books
Tosi, Arturo (2001) Language and society in a changing Italy Multilingual Matters
Wesseling, H L (2002) Certain Ideas of France: Essays on French History and Civilization Greenwood Press
Hooper, J (1995) The New Spaniards Penguin (or later edition)
Le Roy Ladurie, E (2001) Histoire de France des regions: la peripherie francaise des origines a nos jours Seuil
Sahlins, Peter (1989) Boundaries: the making of France and Spain in the Pyrenees University of California Press
Ross, Christopher J (2000) Spain 1812-1996 Arnold
Kurlansky, M The Basque History of the World Jonathan Cape
** Recommended Text
Wright, Sue (2000) Community and Communication. The role of language in nation state building and European integration. Multilingual Matters
Cavalli-Sforza, Luigi Luca (2001) Genes, peoples and languages Penguin, London
Hobsbawm, E J (1992) Nations and nationalism since 1780. Programme, myth, reality CUP 1990, second edn. 1992
** Supplementary Text
Carr, Raymond "Modern Spain,1875-1980" edition n.e. . Oxf.U.P. 192801295
Ross, Christopher J. "Spain,1812-1996" Arnold 340741139
Kurlansky, Mark Basque history of the world London : Vintage 99284138
Baranski, Zygmunt G. Cambridge companion to modern Italian culture edition 2001 part pages . Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press 521559820
Clyne, Michael G. German Language in a Changing Europe edition 2r.e.of "Language and Society in the German-speaking Countries" . Camb.U.P. 521499704
Le Roy Ladurie, Emmanuel Histoire de France des regions Paris : Seuil 2020415682
Forgacs, David Italian Cultural Studies Oxf.U.P. 198715099
Maiden, Martin Linguistic History of Italian Longman 582059283
Tosi Language and society in a changing Italy Clevedon ; Buffalo : Multilingual Matters 1853595004
Language and Nationalism in Europe Oxf.U.P. 198236719
Elliott, J.H. Imperial Spain 1469-1716 edition 2r.e. . Penguin 141007036
Stevenson, Patrick German-speaking World Routledge 415129850
Wesseling, H.L. Certain Ideas of France Greenwood Press,London 313323410
Sahlins, Peter Boundaries Univ.California P. 520074157
Barbour, Stephen Variation in German Camb.U.P. 521357047
Hooper, John New Spaniards edition 2r.e.of "The Spaniards: A Portrait of the New Spain" . Penguin 140131914
** Recommended Consultation
Baranski, Z G & West, R J (2001) The Cambridge companion to modern Italian culture Cambridge University Press
Stevenson, P (1997) The German-Speaking World Routledge
Barbour, S & Carmichael, C (eds) (2000) Language and Nationalism in Europe Oxford University Press
Maiden, M (1995) A linguistic history of Italian Longman
Barbour, S & Stevenson, P (1990) Variation in German Cambridge University Press
Carr, Raymond (2001) Modern Spain 1875-1980 Oxford University Press
Clyne, M (1995) The German Language in a Changing Europe Cambridge University Press
Elliott, J H Imperial Spain 1469-1716 Penguin
Forgacs, D & Lumley, R (1996) Italian cultural studies: an introduction Oxford University Press

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 4